Wedding Flowers 101 – Who, What, When, Where and Why
Why flowers?
Flowers are as common in a wedding as a white dress. For centuries, flowers have been used in bridal bouquets, as centerpieces on the tables and to decorate churches and reception halls. The beauty in their colors, shapes and textures as well as their fragrance and what certain flowers represent make them the perfect accompaniment to every style of wedding. Whether you consider yourself an authority on flowers, an admirer or completely clueless, you can pull off a fabulous floral design for your wedding.
What type of flowers?
Most people don’t have favorite flowers, in fact until they start to plan a wedding, most brides and grooms have never had to think about what flowers say about their style or what they might be communicating through their choices for decorative flowers. If you’re not an expert or even someone who can name more than 3 types of flowers, you are not alone. Lucky for you, there are plenty of experts out there. Any experienced florist can help you pick out the ideal combination of blooms for your wedding based on some general information about your ceremony and reception.
Some preliminary decisions to make:
- Color – this is the difficult part for some. Even if you have a color scheme chosen for your wedding, sometimes it’s tough to narrow down how you want to accent that theme. Think about whether you want the flowers to draw attention and be a focal point or if you want them to blend with the overall style and not take attention away from other elements in the décor.
- Shape – for centerpieces, consider the height; a low floral centerpiece or a tall one will allow guests to see one another across the table. For bouquets popular shapes include round, cascade and hand-tied. Round bouquets and nosegays are common and more formal. Cascading bouquets are romantic and dramatic while hand-tied bouquets have a natural, simple look.
- Quantity – try to figure out how many of each type of arrangement you’ll need. How many centerpieces, bridesmaids’ bouquets, pew flowers, standing arrangements, hanging arrangements, boutonnieres and corsages.
- Budget – your florist will need to know what he or she has to work with. Once you have a budget established, you’ll be able to determine how lavish your arrangements can be or where you might need to cut corners
Who should do your flowers?
Once you’ve made some basic decisions about what type of flowers you’ll need, how many different kinds of arrangements and how much you want to spend, you’re ready to meet with a few florists. If you have some references from friends, that’s a great start. If you’re starting from scratch and doing a search online, you might want to make some phone calls before setting up any face-to-face interviews. It’s always a good idea to meet with at least a few florists. They may all be seasoned professionals but each might come with a different skill set so you’ll want to choose the florist who most fits your needs.
When interviewing florists, you’ll want to ask them questions that cover their background and experience, their artistic vision and their operations. Here are just a few sample interview questions:
- How many years have you been a wedding florist?
- How many weddings do you do a year?
- Do you consider your style to be traditional or modern?
- Do you have any ideas for how I might stretch my budget?
- How many people will you have working on my wedding?
It’s always a good idea to view a florist’s portfolio. And if they have references, that’s even better. If you have the opportunity to speak with past clients, you can ask them questions like whether or not their florist was punctual and a good problem solver and whether or not they would recommend their florist to others.
When and Where?
Your florist should be able to give you a good rundown of which flowers are in season around your wedding date. They should also be able to tell you where the flowers come from as well as the accessibility of flowers that are out of season. Many blooms are imported depending on where you live, so even if something is not available locally, you might be able to get them imported, albeit for a higher price. Below are lists of popular wedding flowers available by season:
Spring
Amaryllis
Chrysanthemum
Lilac
Apple blossom
Daffodil
Lily
Azalea
Daisy
Orchid
Bluebell
Freesia
Camellia
Primrose
Carnation
Heather
Rhododendron
Cherry Blossom
Honeysuckle
Clematis
Iris
Tulip
Crocus
Jasmine
Dogwood
Hyacinth |
Summer
Aster
Marigold
Azalea
Orchid
Carnation
Heather
Peony
Cornflower
Iris
Rose
Chrysanthemum
Jasmine
Rhododendron
Delphinium
Larkspur
Daisy
Lilac
Sweat pea
Freesia
Lily-of-the-valley
Fuchsia
Lupin
Tiger Lily
Gardenia |
Autumn
Chrysanthemum
Daisy
Hydrangea
Morning Glory
Dahlia
Iris
Orchid
Freesia
Lily
Rose
Sunflower |
Winter
Carnation Rose
Chrysanthemum
Holly Berries
Freesia
Iris
Snowdrop
Forsythia
Lily Winter
Jasmine
Orchid
Amaryllis
Amazon Lily
Calla Lily
Camellia
Geranium
Hyacinth |
It’s OK to be clueless…
Your wedding flowers will set the tone for the look of your wedding. Be it opulent, simple, dramatic or understated. If you’re not ready to take the reigns on floral design, put some extra effort into finding the right florist. It will make all the difference. Your florist will come with all the expertise so you can focus on the rest of your wedding plans. And someone who understands your vision and has lots of fresh ideas will help you bring your wedding flowers to life. Hiring a florist who is easy to work with will make your wedding day turn up roses!
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